Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin
by Princess-Meru
Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?
1. The Reunion

Title: Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin  
  
Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?  
  
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related things belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., inc.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for Violence, Language, and minor Sexual Content  
  
Pairing: Harry Potter/Invented Character Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger  
  
Authors Note: This story is just going to play itself out, I have the general summary of events down, but I don't know how long it is going to be, so just be patient and I hope you enjoy. Flames are accepted, as well as recommendations for a different title.

* * *

Chapter 1  
The Reunion

* * *

Harry Potter awoke to the sound of an owl pecking on his window. It was Hedwig, his wonderful snowy owl. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he stumbled towards the window and opened it for her.  
"Be very quiet. The Dursleys are still asleep," he whispered. Hedwig hooted softly in response.  
Hedwig was carrying quite a few letters in her claws, so Harry untied them, giving her freedom. Two letters, from Hermione and Ron.  
He opened the letter from Hermione first.  
  
Dear Harry,  
Nothing has happened yet. I'm getting worried. Voldemort should have done something by now. His only possible chance at an advantage is gone, so what is there that's left? I'm surprised muggles still haven't been attacked. Even though it's still calm, please be careful and don't go looking for trouble. Enough horror has happened in previous events with you meddling.  
Love,  
Hermione  
  
Of course Hermione would tell him to be careful, she was always the precocious one, working and worrying one step ahead of everyone else. She really was a good friend in that way, but that didn't mean that it wasn't annoying. Harry needed adventure, it was what he lived for, and he couldn't exactly get that if he was moping around the house, bored.  
Next was Ron's letter.  
  
Harry,  
Hermione and I have been in touch. Nothing here or there. It's almost too calm. Bill says there have been small things in other countries but not here. Supposedly there was something going on in America, but no one is positive.  
God, Pig is annoying the heck out of me. I think I'm going to sell him and buy a new one if I can't tame him soon. I'm betting if I gave him a sedative then he might shut up, but then he wont be any use at all.  
Ah well, I'll see you at Hogwarts.  
Ron  
  
And Ron was indifferent. Harry was fine with that, seeing as Ron can't cause trouble anymore due to Prefect duties. It was nice having a friend like him, who didn't care what he did.  
Harry shut the letters and hid them in his dresser drawer. He then leaned out the window to watch the sun rise. A small glimmer of pinkish lining spread over the horizon. Fresh morning air tingled his senses and he rubbed his eyes.  
There wasn't a single movement on Privet drive. Harry needed something to happen, someone to talk to. It was like everything was standing still. The impatience that tugged at Harry's mind was enough to make him explode.  
There was a pounding on the door "wake up boy, you have to prepare for Michelle's arrival."  
Oh, that's right, Michelle. Michelle Lieberman had known the Dursleys since as long as anyone could remember. She had been raised in America by her aunt, and once a year she would make some attempt to visit the Dursleys. Michelle's mother was best friends with Petunia during college, and so part of her mother's will was that every year Michelle would visit.  
And today was the first time Harry would be seeing her since he started going to Hogwarts. It had been six years.  
She probably had changed so much, what if she didn't remember him? Who would? He was such a scrawny little kid. What if she didn't like the new him? Harry had probably changed so much since Hogwarts had been introduced into his life. They had so much to catch up on. The last time he had see her he had been ten and she had been nine. She would be fifteen now, and would be a completely different person.  
"Yes Uncle Vernon," Harry left the window open for Hedwig and then made his way down the stairs and into the kitchen.  
"Everything has to be perfect,"Aunt Petunia said as she darted around the room, putting up decorations, making a cake, and feeding Dudley all at once. "She's going to fall for you Duddykins, you will look so handsome." She was referring to the nice polo shirt and khakis that had been bought for Dudley just the other day. Clothes of that had to be tailored to him because there were none his size.  
Harry went back upstairs and changed into some clean clothes, tried combing his hair flat, and then went out for a walk, he didn't get very far because right then, at eight in the morning, a taxi cab parked right in front of the house. The door opened and one elegantly shaped leg set foot on the pavement. Soon Michelle Lieberman was standing beside the black car, smiling from ear to ear.  
"Harry, is that you?"  
He looked into her eyes. Even if she had changed, her expression hadn't. Her eyes were always filled with caring and empathy, and that wouldn't alter, no matter how much time would beat away at it.  
He didn't know what came over him, but right there and then, he ran up to her and hugged her. When was the last time he had done this? Six years ago, when the Dursleys weren't looking, when no one was looking, he had hugged her, just like this. She hugged him back, feeling the same emotions he was.  
They were both lonely, he without friends and she because she moved around so much. They were each other's support. She was still lonely, and he knew it. He wasn't alone anymore. He had friends, but she still had no one.  
"God I missed you," she whispered "you weren't there when I came for the winter holidays."  
He laughed. She always called it winter holidays. She was Jewish, so Christmas was not the only thing celebrated with the Dursleys.  
"I heard you were at some institution. How did you manage that?" they still hadn't let go of each other.  
"It's a long story. A very long story."  
They let go, and he looked her over. She was much more beautiful than he remembered. Time had been very good together and she had grown up so nicely. Harry blushed when he thought that, but he knew he couldn't help it. This would probably explain why Dudley was so set on dating her.  
"Michelle darling," Aunt Petunia came out the door and embraced her. Hopefully she hadn't seen them.  
"Petunia, how are you? Sorry I haven't mailed you much, but I've been so busy studying." Her American accent was completely obvious.  
"Every thing's been lovely. I'm so glad you came. Duddy is so excited to see you."  
Vernon placed a firm hand on Harry's shoulder "Get her bags."  
Hearing this, Michelle turned around, "Oh, I can get them. Don't make him do all the work."  
"Nonsense dear," Petunia said in an overly sweet voice "you're our guest. Let the boy take it."  
"Okay." Michelle walked inside number four, Privet drive, in between Vernon and Petunia, giving a mournful backward glance at poor Harry Potter.  
Harry heaved a sigh and began to remove bags from the taxi's trunk.  
  
"Oh, and Dudley won a wrestling championship just a couple of weeks ago," Uncle Vernon said with pride, sipping his tea.  
"Amazing," Michelle said, never dropping the mask of amusement she held. Harry nearly snorted, sensing the hint of sarcasm in her voice. He caught her eyes and they both grinned. "Of course, I'm not surprised, Dudley looks much more muscular since I saw him last winter."  
"I've been working hard," Dudley mumbled, blushing profusely. Suddenly the blank expression that usually was on his face returned, "Hey, why are you visiting over the summer?"  
"Didn't I tell you? I'm going to a boarding school in England out in the country. I'm quite excited really. This means I might be able to spend more time with you." She grinned, placing her small tea cup to her lips. Her smile made Harry's heart melt. That last time he had reacted like this around a girl had been ages ago.  
Michelle drained the last of her tea and then set her cup on the table, gazing into it intently.  
"Would you like some more tea?" Petunia asked, her voice still filled with sugar.  
"No thank you." Michelle continued to look into the tea cup, and then picked up Harry's empty one and glanced into it as well.  
"Um. . . if you don't mind," Dudley stammered "what exactly are you doing?"  
"Oh, tea leaf reading. Supposed to tell your future. That's all a bunch of nonsense really."  
Harry snorted, he knew coming from Professor Trelawney it might be, seeing as she was an old fraud, but you never know. Harry gazed at Michelle as her eyes glazed over in deep thought. "What does it say."  
"Mr. Potter," she said in a mocking mystical tone, grinning devilishly "you and I have very similar futures. Yours says you have a great and powerful enemy who has filled your life with suffering. He or she will continue to appear in your future, and will stop at nothing to destroy you and everything you hold dear."  
Harry started chuckling. All this seemed to be quite true. "What does yours say Madame Michelle?"  
"I have a great and powerful enemy, who like you, has caused me to suffer. He will appear in my future, but instead of trying to destroy me and all around me, will stop at nothing to get me to join him," she grinned "He isn't exactly powerful in my eyes, but it is correct."  
"So you know who it is..."  
"Like you don't know who yours is."  
Vernon was turning purple with anger at the conversation the two were entering "That's all a bunch of mumbo jumbo. Nothing worth discussing."  
Michelle nodded and then stood up. "Now if you don't mind, I have to unpack, see you in a bit." She walked out of a now silent room, causing foot steps to be the only sound as she walked up the steps and into the guest room. 


	2. Catching Up

Title: Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin  
  
Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?  
  
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related things belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., inc.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for Violence, Language, and minor Sexual Content  
  
Pairing: Harry Potter/Invented Character Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger  
  
Authors Note: I FIXED CHAPTER ONE! PLEASE LOOK! THIS IS NOT A SELF -INSERT (The last time I did that I got in trouble, so I learn)! Michelle Lieberman is a character who's personality is original, but I have to admit, I'm terrible at names. The name belongs to my old counselor who went to boarding school in the UK (and I think that's allowed). Thank you to Artz and Roxoan for the corrections and any more would be wonderful. And Roxoan, I understand the format doesn't suit you, but I don't think I want to change how it looks. This is the way it looks in the books and it's the way it will look in my story.  
  
Chapter 2  
  
Catching Up  
  
Harry sat up in bed, thinking about Michelle. She had made Dudley go weak at the knees, which was something that hadn't happened since Harry had threatened him with magic. She had some amazing power over people that made them love her. She was like some version of a veela.  
  
He recalled when they had been little and she had come to visit over Christmas. At night she would sneak down the stairs and into his small cupboard under the stairs. She would open the door and crawl under the covers with him and together they would read some fantasy book or another she would bring along.  
  
Sometimes they would talk about problems in their lives, or dreams they had. Harry would always have so many more troubles, so Michelle was always there to shoulder them for him. He missed that so much about her.  
  
Straining his ears, he heard the sound of footsteps down the hall. It was Michelle, he knew it. The door opened slowly and she slid in like a shadow. She shut the door behind her and then sat down on the end of the bed, her petite form silhouetted against the dark room. Her long brown hair seeming black, and her hazel eyes giving light to the night. "I... I think they're all asleep." She said it awkwardly, as if she could sense the rift that had grown between them over time.  
  
"Yeah," Harry said faintly "they're usually asleep around now."  
  
Hedwig hooted and Michelle turned to face her "Oh my, you have an owl!"  
  
"Yes, I got her after I turned eleven."  
  
She smiled, and pulled out a small parcel from behind her back. The wrapping paper glittering in the moonlight. "Speaking of which, do you remember what day it becomes at midnight?"  
  
"How could I forget?" It was his birthday in thirty seconds. She remembered his birthday!  
  
The clock struck midnight and she handed him the gift "Happy birthday, Harry." She began singing it and he grinned. He always liked her voice, it was always bright and filled with the emotion the song held. "Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday dear Harry. Happy birthday to you."  
  
With trembling fingers, Harry removed the wrapping paper. There, in the clear box, was something so beautiful no words came to his mind to describe it. It was a music box. It was round except for the base which was flat so the music box could stand. It was made of gold and the design was a swirl of different colors. If he stared hard enough at it, he could see pictures, and it was almost as if the design changed for him. Soon he saw stars... then a snitch.... then an owl... and then Hogwarts. The colors continued to mix into different shapes.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said blushing "I didn't know what to get you. I wasn't sure exactly what you wanted so..."  
  
"It's brilliant." He couldn't take his eyes off of it.  
  
"You can start it by tapping the music note on top," and he did so. It opened and a lullaby played that nearly made him cry.  
  
There was a lullaby that Michelle used to sing to him. She said she remembered her mother singing it to her. Harry, whenever he heard it, heard his mother singing it too. He heard humming and he looked at Michelle.  
  
"Stop your crying  
  
My little treasure  
  
Hold my hand  
  
I'll make it better  
  
Stop your crying  
  
My little love  
  
You are an angel  
  
From the heavens above." He saw her crying.  
  
The lyrics were odd, but he always felt cared for when he heard them. How could he have forgotten this song? He went to Hogwarts and left her behind, to grow and mature without her. He forgot her, and now she was to him the scared little child who cared about everyone above herself.  
  
He crawled over to her and hugged her, rocking her back and forth to the melody. Soon she discontinued her crying and so he backed away.  
  
"Sorry," she blushed "I just... It's been hard without you around. I don't even know why I cried." She didn't make eye contact with him. "So, what have I missed over the past six years of your life?"  
  
He sighed. "Well, for starters, my parents weren't killed, they were murdered. So, their killer has been after me."  
  
Michelle's eyes widened. "What?! That's terrible! How did you find this out?! Is he dead? Did the Dursleys do anything?"  
  
"Calm down. It isn't that bad, I can fight him I found this out when I started going to a new school, he isn't dead, and the Dursleys only wished he had killed me."  
  
"Wait... what school?"  
  
"Alright, I'm about to tell you a really long story. No interruptions!" Harry told her everything that had happened at Hogwarts and everything in between. He conveniently forgot to mention anything out of the ordinary, like magic and werewolves. She just nodded and took it all in to the best of her ability. Soon, he got to a very touchy subject.  
  
"And... and Sirius... when we were fighting Voldemort... he... he..." before he could finish, Michelle hugged him.  
  
"It's good you talked about it. Crying is a way of dealing. Just cry," she whispered.  
  
"No I can't. I'm the person people look to. I'm a man. My dad probably never cried."  
  
"You're not your father and men can cry. You can be a man and still cry." He broke down. She just rocked him back and forth, stroking his hair and not caring that his tears were soaking her shirt. When he let all his tears out, he sat up, ready to continue the conversation. "Hermione, the Weasleys, Neville, and Luna sound like great people. I would like to meet them."  
  
"Yeah, they're great people. I would have been scared if you said you wanted to meet Draco though."  
  
She wrinkled her nose "Why would I want to meet him? He sounds positively awful."  
  
He laughed. He really truly laughed. The last time he had was beyond recollection.  
  
"So tell me your story."  
  
She shrugged "Nothing has changed much. My dad is still trying to gain custody of me. Like that would ever happen. I mean, he's a murderer." She tried to sound like she was joking, but when he looked into her eyes, he could see the pain that was there. Now that he thought about it, Michelle's eyes looked familiar. "On a lighter note, I'm going to be going to a boarding school here."  
  
"Where?"  
  
"Somewhere in the country," she waved a hand to show that she had no clue. "I'm taking a train at eleven on platform ten on September first."  
  
Uh oh, that would be a problem. He had to see her off as well as get on the Hogwarts Express at the same time. It would be tough to leave unnoticed. They could probably just arrive early and separate early.  
  
"You alright?"  
  
"What? Oh... I'm leaving at the exact same time at platform nine."  
  
"That's so great! We can pretty much leave together." Her voice held fake enthusiasm, and he could tell. There was nothing he could do, he would have to play it by ear.  
  
"Good bye Michelle, We'll miss you greatly." Petunia hugged Michelle at the entrance to King's Cross Station.  
  
"I'll see if I can visit during the Winter and Spring holidays." She hugged Vernon and then walked over to Dudley. "Good bye Dudley," she hugged him tightly and the turned around, pushing her cart towards Harry, leaving Dudley beat red.  
  
After they were out of earshot, Harry turned to her. "How do you do that?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Get Dudley to blush."  
  
She winked at him "Feminine charm."  
  
Harry rolled his eyes at the statement "Whatever you say."  
  
They continued towards their respective platforms, reminiscing about times long gone. Soon they were at Platform nine, and Harry got nervous. "Um... well, this is my... um... platform."  
  
She was about to say something, when multiple voices shouted across the station "Harry!" A small group of redheads ran towards him.  
  
"Oh... I guess you'll get to meet the Weasleys."  
  
Bill came up to Harry and nudged him, "Who's your friend?" he winked, making Michelle blush considerable.  
  
"Everyone, this is Michelle Lieberman. Michelle, this is Bill," he signalled towards the man next to him with long flaming red hair and a tooth earing hanging from one ear "Mrs. Weasley," the plump mother who had flaming red hair and a jolly smile, "Mr. Weasley," a man who was balding and had a ring of remaining red hair "Percy," Percy had hair like the others, but had an upturned nose that gave him an egotistical appearance "Ginny," the small girl with eyes that held cunning and mock innocence "Fred and George," the twins were slightly short and a bit pudgy "and Ron," ton was tall and gawky, but he grew a bit of muscle.  
  
"Did you think you weren't going to introduce me?" Hermione stepped out of the crowd of flaming hair. "I'm Hermione Granger."  
  
"It's a pleasure to meet you," she curtsied "Harry has told me so much about you." Mr. Weasley stepped forward and shook her hand "Are you a muggle?"  
  
"A what? Oh, you mean people who can't go to Harry's school. Yes, then I'm afraid I am." Mrs. Weasley shook her head and Ginny giggled. "Obviously I missed something. Anyway, I have a train to catch," she hugged Harry, and then walked off before Harry could say a goodbye himself.  
  
Harry shrugged it off and walked over to the platform barrier to platform nine and three quarters, entering it before anyone could comment. 


	3. The New Student

Title: Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin  
  
Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?  
  
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related things belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., inc.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for Violence, Language, and minor Sexual Content  
  
Pairing: Harry Potter/Invented Character, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger  
  
Authors Note: I only post new chapter once I am satisfied with the reviews. Please review if you read it. (in other words, chapter four is already finished and I am waiting for at least ten reviews from this chappie) And I am hoping that I will get enough reviews through it all, but there's going to be a lot of chapters. Sorry these chapters are short, but that's just the way I write em... plus, they seemed a lot longer on microsoft word. Roxoan: Harry's a bit dense. When he doesn't know something, his mind always seems to completely block it off until he feels like processing it. He's a smart boy, so once he finds out facts face to face, then his brain cogs start turning. And she is a witch. You just wait... everything will come together once it's a little far along.

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Chapter 3   
The New Student

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"You fancy her," Hermione said in her know it all voice as they walked on to the train "I can see it."  
"I do not!" Harry protested.  
Ron was a bit pink "You have to admit mate, she is rather pretty."  
"Yes, but that doesn't mean I fancy her!"  
Ginny was grinning "You never know, denial isn't just a river."  
"Ha, very ha," Harry opened the nearest compartment and found it empty. Together Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny walked into the compartment and shut the door behind them. Almost immediately the attitude changed. "So, Ron, Bill said something about attacks in America?"  
"Yeah, Bill said that some muggles in America were put under the imperious curse. One of them jumped off a sky scraper in Boston with the dark mark written on his chest," Harry's eyes widened. Why hadn't he heard about this?  
"No joke," Ginny jumped in "The Ministry in America had to clean it up, and boy was there a mess. Erasing memories left and right, cleaning up the splattered blood." Everyone made a face at the thought of it.  
"Do they know who it was? The person who died I mean."  
"Well Harry," Hermione inhaled deeply "They have an idea, but no one's really sure. I think the name was..." she paused for a minute "Jacob Lieberman... or Joseph, and maybe a Lieben. Sorry," she blushed "but I can't really remember. But he had an identification on him. When the Ministry checked it out, there were no records of him, none whatsoever. And none in the muggle records either."  
Harry thought about what Hermione had said. Michelle's uncle's name was Jonathan. Maybe she knew something about it. Harry shut his eyes in frustration. All these people were being hurt. What was the reason?  
"Harry, mate. You alright?" Ron put a hand on his shoulder.  
"What? Oh... Yeah..." Harry rubbed his eyes and began to stare out the window.  
"Well, I have to go to the front compartment," said Hermione in an important voice, trying to lighten the mood "I'm a head girl."  
Ron placed an arm around her to congratulate her, but moments later pulled it away, blushing. "Well... um... that's great... Hermione."  
"You have to go there too Ron, prefects are wanted as well."  
Ron shrugged "Sorry Harry." Harry wanted to reply, but then Ginny stood up as well.  
"I'm a prefect too... so... will you be alright alone?"  
Harry was crushed, but that didn't matter. He was supposed to feel happy for them, but when would something good come to him too? He continued this thought as everyone left.  
Everyone in this world, no matter who, saw him as the boy who lived. His friends had first introduced themselves because of this. The Slytherins hated him for it. Only those in the muggle world didn't see him as 'the Boy Who Lived.'  
"The Boy Who fucking Lived my arse," he mumbled "It's not like I'm actually happy through it all anyway."  
Harry waited for someone to come in, and just his luck, no one did. His train ride was a very lonely one.  
  
Harry sat in the Great Hall at the very end of the table, waiting for the sorting ceremony to end. Lots of frightened little children shook under the sorting hat as Professor McGonagall called their names.  
"Prudence Quill!" a small shaking girl made her way up the hat and sat down underneath it. One moment and the sorting hat called out her house.  
"Hufflepuff!" and a loud cheer ensued from the Hufflepuff table.  
That was the last child, and as she sat down in her seat, old Professor Dumbledore stood up, addressing the whole school. In a matter of moments the whole room was silent. "As some of you know, sometimes a child gets the chance to move and see new places. It has been a long time since a child has transferred to Hogwarts, because of the danger in the past years. The last one, I believe, was seven sortings ago. But now I would like to welcome our newest student to be sorted, if she would so graciously show herself.  
The Great Hall doors opened and a girl completely covered in a black cloak walked into the room. She pulled back her hood, and there, standing before everyone, her long brown hair tied back and her dark Hazel eyes shining, was none other than...  
"Michelle Lieberman!" Mcgonagall called out.  
Everyone stared at her as she sat down under the hat. When the all telling hat was placed on her head, everyone waited. She sat there grinning, as if the hat had just told her a joke.  
Harry noticed that Malfoy was grinning. When Harry made eye contact with him, Draco mouthed "She's going to be a Slythering, Potter," as if Malfoy knew something he didn't.  
"GRYFFINDOR!" she stood up and winked at Dumbledore, who's eyes twinkled right back then walked over to the Gryffindor table and sat down right next to Harry.  
"Long time no see," and he just stared wide eyed as she laughed.  
"How... you... what?"  
"It's a long story, but I wasn't lying when I said I was going to school in the United Kingdom. I figured it would be better if I was closer to you guys, seeing as my uncle just passed away." She wasn't laughing anymore, but there was still a smile on her face, a plastered smile that wasn't real.  
"Your uncle... Uncle Jonathan? Was he the one who was put under the Imperious Curse?"  
Michelle's mask completely shattered, and she started to cry. Harry put an arm around her and waited for her tears to stop falling. He would wait until another time to get the full explanation. 


	4. Too Much Information

Title: Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin  
  
Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?  
  
Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related things belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., inc.  
  
Rating: PG-13 for Violence, Language, and minor Sexual Content  
  
Pairing: Harry Potter/Invented Character, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger  
  
Authors Note: I officially have this whole thing planned out, so I can insert mystery at will. There may be a few side stories though and I don't know where those are going. Sorry I've been so busy, but with everything going on in my life, there hasn't been time. There's been summer school, overnight camp, and a whole business of redoing myself. I am changing how my room is organized, leaving friends behind, changing nick names and how people know me, etc. It's something I've been planning to do, but now is the best time. And so because of that, I took an extremely long time making this chapter.

EMERGENCY NOTE: ANYONE WHO KNOWNS HOW TO POST THESE STORIES WITH INDENTS WITHOUT THE NEED OF SKIPPING LINES PLEASE CONTACT ME. ALSO, ANYONE WHO IS GOOD AT EDITING PLEASE CONTACT ME ABOUT BEING MY BETA! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!!

* * *

Chapter 4  
Too Much Information

* * *

How could he lie to her? She knew that he was a wizard, the whole wizarding world knew who he was, so why didn't she tell him the whole story? She was a witch, and from the looks of it had been one for a very long time. There was something about her he just didn't understand. Even if he hadn't seen her in a while, she still could have written.

Michelle had went to speak to Dumbledore while everyone else returned to their respective houses. Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all sat together in the common room and discussed the new student.

"I think she's a fugitive," Ginny said, eyes shining in the same light as the elder Weasley twins had at the thought of excitement. "Or maybe she was too ashamed to say that she was kicked out of her previous school."

"No way Ginny," Ron said, shaking his head.

"Well something was going on," Hermione interjected in her know-it-all manner "it was her uncle that was killed. No one had heard of her uncle, so that means that he was either a muggle or a non person."

"No 'mione," the male redhead said through a mouthful of chocolate frogs "Non persons aren't able to be seen by muggles when in the wizarding world."

"Uncle Jonathan..." The group became silent. Harry hadn't spoken since dinner. "If Michelle is a witch, then Uncle Jake knew about it. Jake was her guardian."

"So Michelle has nowhere to go?" Ginny said.

"I guess not... But why did she lie to me? Why did she never tell me she was a witch? I would have accepted her!" Harry stood up, fuming with rage.

"Come on mate, even I know the answer to that one," Ron said proudly "the Dursleys wouldn't take her back."

"I wouldn't tell anyone though."

"Except us," Crookshanks came over to Hermione and jumped into her lap "I assure you that, them being the nosy prunes they are, someday would have heard it through the grapevine."

"What's that?" the two redheads said in unison.

"Muggle thing," the others replied.

---

Michelle didn't come into the common room until midnight. Harry was on the couch, pretending to be asleep, and so when Michelle saw him, she fell for the act. She went up to her dormitory and brought down a large quilt of hers, draping it over the skinny frame of "the boy who lived" before sitting beside him.

"Harry... I'm sorry I didn't tell you anything. Uncle Jake said it wasn't smart, that you wouldn't understand. In a way he's right. There's too much to tell and if I told it to you, you would hate me even more than you probably do now..." a single tear dropped down her cheek.

The frail brunette rose from beside her friend and went to go rest her tired eyes. Never would she know that Harry had heard everything she said, and forgave her more and more with every word that escaped her lips.

---

One week later, the schedules were passed out. Harry, since he was training to be an Auror, had to continue classes with his least favorite teacher, professor Snape. "Double Potions... with Slytherin."

"Aw, cheer up mate. It isn't as bad as you think," Ron said through an apple.

"Oh yea Ron? What do you have first?" Harry put his schedule away.

"Same as you, but I'm looking on the bright side. Michelle will be there."

How did he know? Michelle hadn't been seen by him all morning. "Wait a minute, when did she tell you this?"

"I was comparing classes with her earlier. She's fair game you know," a devilish grin was plastered on his face.

"All men are pigs," Hermione plopped down in the place beside Harry.

Ron turned his nose up in reply "Are not, we just like to keep our options open."

"But did you ever think about maybe being normal and not slobbering over every woman who is prettier than you, which would be all of them."

"And what about Vicky? He's such an ugly brute I'm sorry for any woman who has to look at him!"

"Don't call him Vicky, Ronald. And you used to worship him."

Harry rolled his eyes "Get a room you two." With that, he stood up and walked out of the great hall. If he was going to take potions, he might as well give it a fresh start.

He stood by the entrance to Snape's classroom in the dungeons. As he waited, he saw Snape coming down the hall with another person's arm laced within hisown. Harry stood a little out of sight, just able to see who Snape's companion was. When the light caught the other person's face, the person revealed to be "flirting" with Snape was none other than the missing mystery girl, Michelle.

"Michelle, I want you to be careful."

"But Sevvy-"

"Don't 'but Sevvy' me. I don't want to see you get hurt. I was there to witness what remained of his body. I don't want to see that happening to you," that was the most amount of concern Harry had ever heard come from Snape. Then again, he had never seen Snape look concerned. And since when had anyone called Snape the sinister "Sevvy"?

"It wont Sev, you know it wont. I can't get hurt."

"The overconfident are the first to fall."

"And the worrywarts die for them. Stop acting like a mother hen. I have to have a class with you next and students will start arriving soon. If they see you like this they will no longer fear you."

"Or respect me."

"Dude, they never respected you."

Snape chuckled and then they both walked into the potions classroom.

Harry cringed. Snape did sound very much like Mrs. Weasley, all worrisome. It was disturbing. Why was Snape acting like that around her? Were they dating? Harry cringed again. Too many things were happening for his brain to process. So he entered the potions room.

"Mr. Potter, I see you have decided to trouble us more by coming on time. I think I am in shock," Snape awaited eye contact, hoping to give Potter one of his signature glares.

But Harry couldn't look him in the eye.


	5. The Plan

Title: Harry Potter and the Staff of Slytherin

Summary: A friend of Harry's comes to visit, and with her come strange things. What does she have to do with the new events?

Disclaimer: All Harry Potter related things belong to Joanne Kathleen Rowling, Scholastic Books, Bloomsbury Books, Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc.

Rating: PG-13 for Violence, Language, and minor Sexual Content

Pairing: Harry Potter/Original Character, Ron Weasley/Hermione Granger and a bunch of other confusing pairs that aren't real

Author's Note: Wow... that took a while. I just got back from camp when I wrote this. Then my Beta had trouble at school and we had issues getting the files to one another. I thought I was gonna cry in frustration. But here it is, hope you enjoy it.

* * *

Chapter 5 

The Plan

* * *

Michelle didn't come into the common room until late. Everyone but a few seventh years were tucked into their beds. Harry was awake as well, waiting for her to come in. He wasn't going to let her slide this time. She had gotten by for a week without telling him anything, but after what Harry had witnessed in the dungeons, he wasn't about to allow her to continue. 

If Harry hadn't been staring at the portrait hole, he wouldn't have known she had come in. The door opened silently and when she came through, she made no noise. Her cloak made no sound as it fluttered with her movements, and she herself appeared as a shadow. He felt his mind drifting away as he looked at her. Michelle caught felt his gaze, and without even the slightest hesitation, she sat beside him.

"Hello Harry. I assume you stayed awake for me?"

"Ooh, very smart," he spat out.

"Are you mad at me? You don't have a rea-"

He cut her off mid sentence "Of course I'm mad! You lied to me about everything. You told Ron about your schedule before me. You never told me you were a witch, although I'm almost over that. AND YOU WERE FLIRTING WITH SNAPE!"

"Oh," her eyes widened. "You saw that?"

"YES, I SAW THAT!"

"Listen, Harry, I wasn't flirting. Professor Snape was just worried about me."

"Don't you mean Sevvy?" She blushed.

"No, I don't. Snape is one of my many guardians. Just like you have Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon, I have guardians too. My main guardian, my uncle, was murdered. You heard about that. I will not go to my father. I won't live with the Dursleys. So what remains is Professors Snape, McGonagall, Dumbledore, Madame Pomfrey, and a few of the witches and wizards of the order," as she said these, she held up fingers "and my guardians keep going out like candles. I don't know how many I'll have left by the end of this year. But the agreement I have with the teachers is to only address them casually in private. In public I'm just like everyone else."

"You know the order?"

"Most of them. I know every member, but not every single member knows me." There was a twinkle in her eye not unlike Dumbledore's.

"What about the Weasleys?"

"Like the Weasleys for example, they have no clue In exist, and there is only one member of the order that is in the ministry knows my identity. Only two other people in the order besides the teachers have actual legal possession over me, but one passed away and the other is too scared to allow me around the house." She leaned back into the chair, watching as Harry calculated what she had said.

"Was he afraid of being killed?" his eyes were wide with information.

"No, he was more worried about him killing me. You see, he's a-"

"Werewolf?"

Now it was her turn to be surprised "Yes, how did you know?"

"Remus Lupin, one of my dad's old friends. Him and-" Harry's face fell, and he figured out who the other one was.

"Sirius... Sirius Black," Michelle looked like she was about to cry, so Harry put an arm around her, and she placed her head on his shoulder. "I miss him..."

"We all do."

"Someday I will take revenge on the people responsible."

"If you do, you'll only get hurt. That's the only lesson I've learned from fighting him. All my friends have been injured, and I only barely scrape by myself. I'm meant to fight him. No one else."

"But you don't have his weapon."

"I have it's brother."

"Not that one!" she sat up "There's another that he lost about fifteen years ago, and he's doing whatever he takes to get it back."

"You have it, don't you?" he glared at her accusingly.

"Of coarse not," she giggled, "but he thinks I do. I wish I knew where it was though."

"Why does he think you have it?"

"Because he is one of only two people who can even touch it, and I'm the other." Michelle's lips widened into a gigantic yawn. "I'm tired," she stood up, "Good night Harry."

She left Harry pondering everything she had said. He didn't get to sleep that night.

---

"Harry?" Someone was shaking him. It was a deep voice that seemed very far away. He was too tired to move, and was very comfortable with not responding to the person.

"Geway!" Harry swatted his hand at the air.

"Get up now, class ended five minutes ago! We're late for transfiguration."

"Iduncare," he threw his hand around once more, this time hitting his target.

"OW!" that woke Harry up and he jolted straight, glaring at Ron, who was clutching his bruised shoulder, with half lidded eyes. "What's wrong with you? I was just trying to make sure you wouldn't get into any trouble!"

The ebony haired boy surveyed his surroundings. He was in the History of Magic classroom. He had been forced to take this class as a part of the auror training program, although he wished he had just chosen another occupation to pursue. History was a slow death.

Harry gathered his things and stood up, "Sorry about that," and he slapped Ron's injured shoulder, making the redhead cry out in pain.

They heard a chuckle from the door and Michelle came in, "I was sent by the Professor to hunt you two down. Now I see what you've been doing. Napping and beating each other up," she said, shaking her finger at them. "What an immature thing to do."

"Oh please, like you wouldn't do the same, you big hypocrite!" Harry yelled in her face.

"Looks like someone's cranky from their nappy wappy. Does ickle Harry need his blankie?" Ron was giggling under his breath at the site of Harry. He was bright red with anger and glaring at Michelle in the fiercest way he could muster until he burst into a fit of laughter as well. "McGonagall is going to have my head if you two don't move it so let's go."

They walked out of the classroom, looked both ways for any sign of an unfriendly shadow (like Filch the caretaker or Snape) and then walked as slowly as possible towards the transfiguration classroom.

"Listen..." Ron whispered as they were walking "I need some advice."

"Why are you whispering?" Harry whispered back.

"Because the walls could hear us," and just as Ron suspected, the stone walls seemed to be leaning towards them, but straightened out at their stares. Some things Harry still had yet to understand about this school. "All right... I want to know how to get Hermione to date me."

"Is that all?" Michelle blurted out, not continuing the silent pattern. "That's easy. Everyone but you seems to realize she likes you!"

"But what if she doesn't?"

"Just play hard to get, a man who's taken or is a challenge is more appealing, especially to Hermione, the challenge seeker." She said this with such a matter of fact tone that anyone coming down the hall would have thought it was Hermione herself.

"How do I do that?"

"Yes, how does he do that?" Harry said.

"Easy, get a girl to pretend to be your girlfriend, then make it seem like you're not interested in her. If she comes to me complaining, I'll tell her to ask you out."

"That's all it takes?" the boys were in shock, but Ron was the one who spoke up.

"Yup. You didn't know? Everyone else does." Her smile was a mile wide.

"Man," Ron said with a huge sigh "Girls need handbooks."

"And that's what you have me and your sister for. But just come to me, I've talked to Ginny, and although she's super, she's a real trouble maker."

"You think I haven't noticed? All she needs is a friend and she could be the next troublesome twosome."

"First it was my dad and Sirius," Harry interjected "Then Fred and George. But does Ginny have any friends?" Michelle glared at this snide remark and he only winked in return.

"Who cares?" Ron said, rudely changing the subject back. "Who's going to be my 'girlfriend?'" he inquired, quoting the word girlfriend with his fingers.

"Someone close. Someone who you can trust. Someone who's a good actor..." Michelle stared into space, thinking.

"LUNA!" Harry shouted the name as if it was the cure for cancer.

"What?!? No way! I won't! She's psycho!" he exaggerated the words by waving his arms.

"She's perfect," Harry said.

"Who's Luna?" Michelle looked so confused.

"Right, you don't know her. Her name is Luna Lovegood. She's a friend of Ginny's in Ravenclaw, a fifth year. We met her last year. She a bit... unusual, but really useful. She helped us out when we went to fight Voldemort," Ron flinched, but Michelle stayed calm, "at the ministry."

"Hmm, all right, if she's your friend and we can make her pretty, and she's a good actress, she'll do." She nodded, and Harry nodded with her. Ron was still protesting the idea, but it was now out of his hands. "We have to talk to her as soon as possible. How about the next quidditch match?"


End file.
